By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Presidency on Wednesday reacted to the ruling of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) Court’s ruling that the Federal Government should not prosecute persons still using #Twitter in Nigeria.
Briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at Presidential Villa, Abuja, Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina stated that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, will study the ruling and advise the Federal Government on the next step.
According to Adesina: “The Attorney-General of the Federation is going to study that report and then he’ll advise government on the way forward.
“The Committee set up by the President to engage with Twitter is actually holding a meeting about now (Wednesday), or it will hold a meeting this afternoon towards engaging with Twitter”.
Prompt News reports the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Court has restrained President Buhari and agents of the Federal Government from unlawfully imposing sanctions or doing anything whatsoever to harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute #Twitter and other social media service providers, media houses, radio and television broadcast stations and other Nigerians who are #Twitter users, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
The ruling of the Court was predicated on the suit filed against the government by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians where they argued that “the unlawful suspension of #Twitter in Nigeria, criminalisation of Nigerians and other people using Twitter have escalated repression of human rights and unlawfully restricted the rights of Nigerians and other people to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country.”
The Court gave the order after hearing arguments from Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana (SAN) and lawyer to the government Maimuna Shiru.
Meanwhile, Adesina at the briefing also told State House Correspondents that the President has nothing to do with the Nigeria Press Council Act and the National Broadcasting Act (Amendment) bill currently before the National Assembly.
Answering questions on the Nigeria Press Council Act and the National Broadcasting Act (Amendment), the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said:
“That is not strictly a Presidency thing because the President has nothing to do with that. It’s a government thing and it’s the Minister (Information and Culture) that can talk about it. So thank you”.
